MARIETTA — WellStar Health System has added a 112,000-square-foot building to house some of its administrative offices.

The system purchased the former Solvay Pharmaceuticals building at 793 Sawyer Road, along with 19 adjacent acres and furniture, at a cost of $4.45 million.

In addition, renovations will cost an estimated $3 million to $5 million, spokesman Keith Bowermaster said Friday.

WellStar will continue to operate its current administration facilities about a mile away on Sandy Plains Road.

While 300 people will work in the new building, no new positions are being added.

Bowermaster said the newly purchased building would allow WellStar to save another $3 million in already budgeted renovation and acquisition funds.

“With this purchase, we were able to take advantage of the real estate recession to buy this building and its furnishings at one-fifth the cost of new construction,” he said.

Bowermaster said WellStar was in immediate need of more than 40,000 square feet of office space. The purchase will allow it to also save $1 million by consolidating departments that lease 20,000 square feet of office space.

Bowermaster said departments are expected to start moving into the renovated facility, which won’t provide medical services, this summer.

“WellStar has been looking at possible locations for a new administrative building for some time now,” he said.

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